Pages tagged Events

Mitch Daniels drew extensively on his Syrian heritage in accepting an award from an Arab-American group Wednesday night, connecting his own family’s journey to the United States with the uprisings unfolding in his ancestral homeland and elsewhere in the Arab world.“There have been the same stirrings, same yearnings for freedom that have busted loose elsewhere," the Indiana governor said during his second public appearance of the day in Washington. “May Syria and all the lands near it soon become places of peace, and freedom and self-determination.” Daniels, who gave a major education speech earlier in the day...

While some GOP presidential contenders ratchet up their anti-Muslim rhetoric to toxic levels, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniel (R) is set to accept a prestigious award next month from the Arab American Institute.May Berry, executive director of AAI, told TPM that the award was incidental to his status as a possible presidential candidate and celebrates his broad record of public service and his Syrian heritage, which is not commonly known. Nonetheless, she noted that Daniels' award comes at a time of increasingly mainstream anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment in conservative circles."It's a moment to honor our own and Mitch Daniels goes back...

"As an Arab American woman I am proud of the recent changes in the Middle East and the opportunity women there have to participate in the newly accessible civic forum. Vital Voices has worked for years to support women in these environments, through local communities and women's networks, to improve the lives and futures of women both inside and outside the Arab World. To honor their commitment at this time in history not only makes me proud of what they've done, but hopeful for the work they will continue to do in the region." - AAI Executive Director, Maya Berry.

We've been writing about Mitch Daniels quite often, and we've watched him in the news closely these past few months. Governor Daniels (R-Indiana) has been relatively quiet about a potential presidential run, but has remained a subject of extreme interest for many reasons. Gov. Daniels piques our interest not only because he is Arab American (his grandparents are from Syria), he is a politician who - even in today's hyper-partisan political climate - has not digressed from his primary focus; fixing the economy. He has insisted that other issues not become a distraction and has not pandered to the anti-Muslim, anti-Arab...

The Kahlil Gibran Memorial Garden was founded in 1991 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the poet’s birth in Besherre, Lebanon. Located across from the British Embassy at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue, the memorial was designed by renowned sculptor Gordon Kray.

Actor Jeff Fahey will present the special recognition award to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) at the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards Gala Wednesday May 4. Fahey is a well known actor, appearing and starring in a wide range of movies and television shows throughout his career. Recently, Fahey played the role of Captain Frank Lapidus on the popular ABC series Lost.

With no leading Republican yet officially declared for president and only two exploration committees formed, the 2012 field remains wide open. However, as one surveys the list of potential candidates, one sticks out for a very simple reason. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, in contrast to most if not all of his compatriots, has kept his rhetoric on an even keel. He hasn’t pandered to or sought out the political benefits of engaging in the hyper-partisan arena of campaign politics.Daniels has separated himself from the emerging GOP field by avoiding the traditional politics of pandering to the party’s base and has...

Browsing the internet the other day, I found a series of videos about The Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala on YouTube which I thought were great. The videos contain original footage, serving as a comprehensive recap of the awards gala from years past. I wasn't surprised when I saw the name of the individual who posted them: Voice of America's Mohamed Elshinnawi, who has been a Gibran Gala regular for several years. His videos shed light on the reason why the Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) holds its prestigious awards gala in Kahlil Gibran's name. If you haven't seen his videos before, they definitely warrant a look.

The Gibran Gala is just weeks away and the deadline to reserve your tickets is fast approaching. This year's awardees are Indiana Governor and potential presidential candidate Mitch Daniels, who will be receiving the Najeeb Halaby Award for Public Service, an award that has been given to Secretaries Ray LaHood and Spencer Abraham, and Judge Rosemary Barkett, among others; Vital Voices, an organization that identifies, trains and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, including the Middle East; and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, which will be given a special recognition award to celebrate its 100 years of commitment to advancing fair and humane policy and providing direct professional services for immigrants worldwide.